This invention relates to an ink jet printhead that incorporates laterally displaceable actuator mechanisms.
The Applicant has invented a page width printhead which is capable of generating text and images of resolutions as high as 1600 dpi.
The printhead is manufactured in accordance with a technique that is based on integrated circuit fabrication. An example of such a technique is that which is presently used for the fabrication of micro electro-mechanical systems. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such techniques are carried out largely in a planar fashion. This means that the layers of material are deposited and then selectively etched to define the required structure. This fabrication technique is well known and will therefore not be described in further detail here.
The Applicant has filed many patent applications covering the use of these techniques to fabricate the page width printhead mentioned above. The page width printhead can incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle arrangements. Each nozzle arrangement includes a micro electro-mechanical actuator that is displaceable to eject ink from a nozzle chamber of each nozzle arrangement.
An important factor in this field of technology is chip size. The larger the chip, the more expensive the printhead. Accordingly, it is important that the chip be kept as thin as possible. Conventionally, the actuators are positioned to be displaceable in a direction corresponding to that of the direction of drop ejection. Drop ejection usually takes place in a direction substantially normal to a plane in which the chip is positioned. It follows that the chip must be made thick enough to accommodate movement of the actuators. This can result in the chip being excessively thick and thus costly.
The Applicant has devised a way of overcoming this problem with the present invention.
According to the invention, there is provided an ink jet print head which comprises a substrate;
at least one nozzle arrangement positioned on the substrate,, the, or each, nozzle arrangement defining a nozzle chamber from which ink can be ejected, the nozzle chamber being configured so that the ink is ejected from the, or each, nozzle chamber in a first direction that is substantially normal to the substrate, and the, or each, nozzle arrangement having an ink ejection mechanism that is operatively arranged with respect to the, or each, nozzle arrangement, for ejecting ink from the, or each, nozzle chamber, wherein
the ink ejection mechanism is displaceable in a second direction relative to the, or each, nozzle chamber, the second direction being in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The specific nature of the following description is not to be construed as limiting in any way the scope of the above summary